NFL Notes: Bears, Jets, Raiders

Bears

Jeff Dickerson of ESPN writes that the Bears appear to be content allowing Mike Glennon to open the season as their starting quarterback ahead of first-round pick Mitch Trubisky.

However, former Colts C Jeff Saturday believes they would be better off opening things up to a true competition for the job.

“I don’t appreciate when someone says there is no competition here. In my opinion, no team gets better by diminishing the ability to compete,” Saturday said during an appearance on ESPN Radio’s “Dickerson and Hood Show.”

“They paid Glennon a lot of money and they are going to try and get that year out of him, but my issue with that – as a veteran – is that if Trubisky shows up and just balls out and is the guy on offense that everyone wants to follow, shows he can be an incredible leader on the football field, and shows he’s a great quarterback and is better than Glennon, and then you make that decision that he’s not going to start no matter what … I think you’ve done yourself a tremendous disservice.”

“Everybody has to earn their job,” Saturday added. “I know that’s the way I always went about my job. That’s what pushes you. You know you have the advantage if you’re a high-paid guy because no one wants to lose their money, but you never want to lose your edge. In my opinion, Glennon is in a pretty similar situation that Trubisky is in. You better prove what you are. You got a little scratch, good for you, but let’s go show you can play at this level in this league.”

Jets

• Brian Costello of the New York Post writes that Jets OT Ben Ijalana will have to prove he’s worthy of the team’s two-year, $11 million commitment.
• The Jets had Ijalana working at left tackle during offseason workouts, but Costello expects Kelvin Beachum to open the season as the team’s left tackle with Ijalana shifting over to the right side.
• Ijalana underwent a knee scope in recent weeks, but Costello says he should be ready for the start of training camp.

Raiders

• Raiders G Gabe Jackson told reporters that extension talks “wasn’t hard” and an agreement on his new five-year, $56 million deal came together in a week and a half or so. (Scott Bair)
• Jackson added that the latest Raiders’ extensions send a clear message that if players work hard, live clean off the field and produce, they’ll get rewarded in the end. (Scott Bair)
• In regards to Raiders QB Derek Carr saying he wanted to make sure his contract didn’t impact the team from locking up other players, Jackson said: “I started smiling when I first heard him say it because he always said that to me before, that he wants to make sure everybody else is good. So when he said that, it goes to show you about his character, and how he is as a person. He’s one of the most generous people that I know.” (Paul Gutierrez)